Chapter 17: Instantly Solving the Problem of Basic Needs

On the donkey cart, Lin Yu didn't rush to count the money. He understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. As a child traveling alone, if he caught the attention of the wrong people, it would bring trouble.

Still, he had a rough estimate of how much he had earned. The fish were mainly large yellow croakers, totaling about fifty pounds, selling for three dimes per pound. Other fish varieties might be cheaper, but altogether, they should fetch about fifteen yuan.

The crabs weighed over thirty pounds in total. Among them, there were only seven large blue crabs, each just over a pound, so less than ten pounds in total. At four dimes per pound, they brought in four yuan. The spotted crabs were slightly more expensive, selling at four dimes and six per pound, making roughly thirteen yuan.

Adding it all up, the total came to around thirty-three yuan, give or take a little. With this calculation in mind, a smile crept onto Lin Yu’s lips. This trip to the city had not been in vain; calling it a windfall wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

To put it in perspective, a pound of plain flour cost just 2.2 cents. With this money, how much flour could he buy? Moreover, there was one large item he hadn't sold yet!

In fact, Lin Yu had never even opened the fishing basket containing the large mackerel. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sell it; rather, he knew most people couldn’t afford it.

This mackerel was over a meter long, estimated to weigh forty pounds. Even wealthy families wouldn’t likely buy such a large fish to take home.

But a state-run restaurant was a different matter. Their customers were usually officials or wealthy individuals. Hosting a banquet with such a massive mackerel would bring great prestige.

Furthermore, the state-run restaurant often purchased seafood, wild vegetables, and wild mushrooms from outside, offering good prices—never below market value, sometimes even higher.

From the start, Lin Yu planned to sell this big mackerel to the state-run restaurant.

The restaurant was located in the area in front of the train station, right across from it. It was the busiest street in Yingkou.

Though it was already evening and the sky was darkening, the area near the station was still crowded with people, all hurrying about, weary and dust-covered from their daily struggles.

As Lin Yu arrived at the restaurant’s door, a girl wearing an apron stopped him. “Hey, kid, you can’t just come in here.”

Lin Yu quickly explained, “Hello, sister, I’m from a nearby fishing village. I heard your restaurant buys seafood. I have a big fish. I’m wondering if you’re interested?”

“A big fish? How big?” the girl asked, frowning with curiosity.

“Over a meter long, a big mackerel, right here on the cart. If you don’t let me in, that’s fine, but could you please ask your manager? If you don’t want it, I’ll take it to the Xiaolou Restaurant instead.”

The girl glanced at the cart, and seeing this, Lin Yu hurriedly lifted the straw covering to show her the fish clearly. Her eyes widened with surprise—it really was a mackerel over a meter long. She’d never seen such a huge fish in her life.

“Wait here. I’ll go tell the manager right away. Don’t leave,” she said quickly. She had never seen such a large mackerel before. Their restaurant never refused wild goods sellers, especially for such prime catches—they wouldn't want Lin Yu to leave without selling it.

Soon, the girl returned with a middle-aged man holding a serving spoon, who seemed to be in the middle of cooking.

Approaching Lin Yu, the man asked immediately, “Where is it? Show me quickly.”

Lin Yu pointed to the basket on the cart. The man leaned in for a closer look, his eyes lighting up. “My goodness, it really is over a meter long. I haven’t seen such a big mackerel in years.”

“Yes, it was caught today. See, it’s still fresh. Do you want it?”

“Oh, of course! If I came out to see it, that means I want it. How much are you asking?”

The man circled the fish, a chef who saw cooking such a large fish as a challenge. He was sure the restaurant could find buyers, no worries there. Even if no one bought the whole fish, the meat could be minced for mackerel dumplings, which would be profitable.

“How much can you offer per pound?” Lin Yu countered.

The man, Liu Jiamin, thought for a moment. “The market price for mackerel is usually between fifty and sixty cents per pound, varying by no more than five cents. But today’s windy weather means fewer catches, and your fish is unusually large. I’ll give you eighty cents per pound. How does that sound?”

“Deal!” Lin Yu agreed without hesitation. Liu Jiamin seemed honest, not one to deceive a child. Eighty cents per pound was exactly what Lin Yu had hoped for.

“All right, I’ll get the money for you inside. Wait a moment. Xiaohui, call two people to weigh this fish.”

The girl quickly went inside and soon returned with two men carrying an old-fashioned scale, the kind Lin Yu had only seen used when weighing pigs at someone’s home during the New Year.

“It weighs exactly forty-two pounds,” the attendant announced, turning the scale so Lin Yu could see. Lin Yu didn’t really understand the scale but glanced anyway. Liu Jiamin was trustworthy and wouldn’t cheat a child.

Muttering multiplication tables under his breath, Liu Jiamin watched as the two men carried the fish inside.

“That’s forty-two pounds, so 33.6 yuan in total.”

Liu Jiamin was straightforward, handing Lin Yu thirty-four yuan. Before leaving, he told Lin Yu that if he ever had more quality goods like this, they would buy them all.

This trip to Yingkou was undeniably a success.

Normally, yellow croaker sold for only sixteen to seventeen cents per pound at the dock, and crabs at twenty-four cents. Despite the long journey, Lin Yu made considerably more money. In this era of scarcity, an extra yuan could elevate a family’s living standard.

After the transaction, Lin Yu was in high spirits. But since night was falling, if he hurried home now, he’d arrive in the middle of the night.

The roads were rough and dark, and anything could happen. He dared not take the risk, so he spent fifty cents to stay at a small inn in the city.

Only after settling in did Lin Yu close the door and carefully count the money—sixty-eight yuan and eighty-six cents in total.

This was a fortune, enough to buy timber, or even winter clothes and quilts. At last, the family’s basic needs were secured.

The next day, Lin Yu didn’t head straight home. Instead, he took the donkey cart to the Yingkou Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

True to its reputation, the cooperative was bustling with people.

In the Northeast, an old industrial base, factory workers earned enviable wages nationwide. With money in hand, people were willing to spend.

Lin Yu didn’t rush inside but looked around for ticket scalpers. Since it was Yingkou’s cooperative, such characters were naturally present.

Soon, he spotted one—a young man in his twenties, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking like a small-time hoodlum. He had an impressive assortment of tickets, nearly everything needed nowadays, including bicycle and sewing machine tickets.

Though the tickets were numerous, Lin Yu carefully purchased only two fabric coupons for four yuan, as cotton tickets were pricier—five yuan each—and also bought an oil ticket.

With tickets in hand, Lin Yu entered the cooperative.

Inside, the spacious but somewhat crowded store greeted him. Tall shelves were packed with goods.

The daily necessities section displayed brightly colored enamel basins stacked high, their bottoms adorned with vivid red floral patterns. Nearby were simple yet practical towels, neatly piled. Customers often picked them up, feeling their softness.

Thermos bottles stood in the corners, their metal shells gleaming under the lights. Shoppers tapped them lightly, listening to the distinctive sound to judge insulation quality.

The food area overflowed with enticing aromas and bustling crowds. Bags of white sugar piled like small mountains, sparkling in the sunlight. Pastries came in many varieties: savory eggy sponge cakes, golden and crispy fried glutinous rice sticks that crackled when bitten.

Canned fruits lined the shelves—peaches, hawthorn, soaked in syrup inside glass jars, tempting all who saw them.

Children gathered around, eyes fixed eagerly, tugging at their parents’ sleeves, pleading for a jar. Adults browsed the tobacco and liquor counters, discussing brands and prices with clerks.

The fabric section was lively as well. Rolls of cloth hung from shelves—plain blue, floral prints, thick cotton fabrics. Women lingered, stroking the textiles, discussing garment styles with friends, bargaining with sellers for discounts.

The cooperative’s clerks bustled about skillfully, fetching goods, tallying accounts, making change, all with warm smiles as they attended to customers’ varied needs. The corner radio played cheerful songs and product announcements, blending with the laughter and chatter into a vibrant scene full of life and the character of the times.

After buying fabric, cotton, and oil, Lin Yu also purchased a bag of large White Rabbit milk candies before leaving the cooperative.

“Seeing these White Rabbit candies, Yaoyao will surely be overjoyed...”